Slave To You
by Kasai-no-Kitsune
Summary: AU, SasuNaru:: One was a prince, and the other was a slave. One was supposed to die, and the other was supposed to commit the murder. It's a revolution. ::Oneshot with epilogue, possible OOCness::
1. The Events

_Disclaimer: _Heeheehee. That's a good joke. Me, owning the rights to Naruto? Oh, god. Stop, please. Don't tell another one. I think my sides have split.

_Author's Note: _I've had this one written and sitting around for quite a while. I think I was half-asleep when I came up with the premise... but the cute fluffy scenes were too much to resist. I mean, comeon. It's _fluffy angst. _What's not to love! _(hit with shovel) _... Ohh. Anyway, I'm pretty self-conscious about this. Seriously. The Master/Slave storyline is waaay overused, so I was terrified of using it again. But again, I couldn't resist. However, I may have been scared enough to not post this if I hadn't sent it to a most wonderful friend of mine, **Bonfiore'sGirl**, who told me she loved it. That gave me just the kind of confidence I needed to post this. So, pretty please, if you like this story even a bit, drop by Bon'sGirl's page, read her stories, drop her a line, something. Just do something to show her how much you appreciate her for appreciating me. ;3 

* * *

The nation was teetering on the brink of revolution. Everyone could sense it, even the slaves. They were all whispering about it, passing rumors down the chained line. Once in a while, a grimy man would open the door to their communal cell with a grating crunch and take one of the slaves away. Only then would the rumor swapping die down, but only until the man was gone. Naruto could hear them. Though he never joined in the conversations, he could listen to them, and he'd heard everything before. They had the same conversations every time a slave was taken away.

_"Poor, poor sucker..."_  


_"How could they do this to us! We're human beings, not cattle!"_  


_"The government will collapse. Everyone knows it."_  


_"The king doesn't know, though, and that's what is great!"_  


_"I heard the revolutionaries will free us slaves if they take the government."_  


_"Really, seriously! I hope they do..."_  


_"I'd help them if I could escape this place! I want to bathe in the royal family's blood."_  


Naruto had heard everything, but he didn't much believe it. They were just rumors, after all, and there was nothing to a rumor. Nobody was going to save them from their miserable fate. They could only wait here in this stinky, disgusting cell until the man came to take them away, to sell them to a new family who might work them to death.

When the man came to take Naruto away, it wasn't much of a surprise. Even through the grime and dirt, one could see he was a well-built child of about nine, more suited to fighting or heavy labor than most other kids his age. He had a boyish, charming face surrounded by a shock of blond hair, and electric blue eyes. His eyes were the only part of him that wasn't tarnished by dirt. If his face had been clean, one would have noticed the three whisker-like scars that each of his cheeks bore. But Naruto was glad for a reason to ignore those.

There was no surprise when Naruto was taken away. He wasn't even surprised to get a look at his new master, a greasy-haired man with a snakelike face. The man strolled around him, eyes flitting up and down his body critically, and still Naruto was not surprised. The man soon nodded with satisfaction and paid the grimy man a hefty sum, then grasped Naruto's shoulder and steered his new purchase away. They drove back to his mansion, which was no surprise. He had to have been rich to buy a slave.

The first surprise came when the man lead Naruto though a secret passage hidden under the stairs near the back of the mansion. He was lead into a dimly lit room, where the only curiosities were a giant table in the middle of the room and all the men sitting around the table. They all jumped to their feet when Naruto and his master entered the room.

"Orochimaru-sama!" they all cried like soldiers. Orochimaru lead Naruto down to the table, where all the men craned to get a look at him.

"This is the one." said Orochimaru in a smooth voice. The change around the room was instantaneous. All the men cheered and clapped their hands together. A few even fell to their knees, thanking the Lord above. Naruto had no idea what they meant by this. Orochimaru left the men to their celebrating and knelt down to face Naruto eye-to-eye.

"Child," he said, "I bought you for a reason. See these men here? We are plotting a revolution. It will happen very soon, but it cannot happen without spies in the castle. This is what I want you to be. The family has been looking to buy a slave for the youngest prince, and I believe you are perfect. Your job will be to watch the prince constantly, remember his movements, and tell us as soon as you can. We have spies already watching the other members of the royal family, and though I doubt the littlest prince will be much of a threat right now, we cannot take any chances."

"What will you do once you know his movements?" Naruto asked, his throat scratchy from lack of use.

"Plan a time to kill him, of course." Orochimaru's lips cracked into a sickening smile. "Him and the rest of his useless family. We will eliminate the royal family and carve a new era from their blood."

Naruto shuddered. This man was insane, that was clear. But a new era... one where the slaves would be free, perhaps... that would be wonderful. Naruto was willing to give his life up for that dream. "I'll do it." he agreed fervently, and Orochimaru's grin widened.

"Very good, very good..."

* * *

The next surprise was the royal family themselves. Naruto had never bothered to envision them, as he'd never suspected he'd have to see them at all. But now that he was seeing them, they did not look as bad as everyone said they were. The king had a stern face, but he seemed to care for his family enough. The queen was a kindly woman who smiled at Naruto as soon as he came in. A man Naruto assumed was the older prince reclined on a smaller seat behind his parents, staring down at Naruto though very bored eyes.

"Your Lordships, I had heard you were looking for a slave for little Sasuke-sama, and I brought this one for your judgment." Orochimaru announced silkily, patting Naruto's blond head.

"He's filthy." the king commented distastefully. "You couldn't have washed him before you brought him?"

"He's cute." the queen commented sweetly. "I think Sasuke-chan will like him."

"The final decision is Sasuke's, however." the older prince drawled.

"Well? Call him in!" the king ordered, and several servants standing by scrambled off to obey. A few moments later, they lead the little prince in.

The prince himself wasn't much of a surprise, now that Naruto had seen the rest of his family. He was about the same age as Naruto and looked more like his mother than anyone else. He had his mother's dark raven hair, pale glossy skin, sweet face and round, glittering black eyes.

"A slave for you, Sasuke." the king said crisply. Naruto chanced and incredulous glance at him. What a formal way to speak to one's son!

Sasuke looked upon Naruto with new interest and, like Orochimaru, circled around him, staring him up and down. Naruto held himself completely still, rigidly, as if Sasuke was going to bite him if he moved an inch. When Naruto got a sneak look of Sasuke's face, he was smiling slightly. The expression let off a strange, endearing light from his face.

"He seems scared." Sasuke commented, and Naruto was almost ashamed to admit he liked the prince's voice. It flowed smoothly, like liquid. "I like him."

"The Lord has spoken." the older prince muttered sarcastically.

"Thank you for this gift, Orochimaru-san, how much would you like for him?" the king rumbled.

"No money." Orochimaru replied smoothly, mouth stretched in a nauseating grin. "I would be pleased and honored to present him to the prince, Sasuke-sama, free of charge. Consider it a birthday present."

"It isn't Sasuke's birthday..." the older prince's mouth curved sardonically. "Even so, that's very generous of you, Orochimaru. Are you sure you don't have any ulterior motives, perhaps, something that involves getting into my younger brother's pants...?"

"Itachi, enough!" the king snapped. "Thank you very much Orochimaru-san, this is a wonderful present..."

"I am honored." Orochimaru bowed, and Naruto noticed that sickening smile was still on his face, though it was a little forced now. "If I may take my leave..."

"Yes, please!" Sasuke laughed with delight. "Thank you, Orochimaru-san!" Orochimaru's forced grin grew even tighter. Without another word, the snakelike man swept out of the room. Immediately the tense feeling that had pervaded the room disappeared. Itachi let out a long-suffering sigh.

"I dislike him, Father... he's plotting something, I know it." Itachi said, glowering at Naruto suspiciously. Naruto quailed under the glare, but Sasuke saved him by grasping his hand and tugging him out of the room, through a side-door that lead to the rest of the castle, shouting a vague goodbye to his family. He pulled Naruto through a series of well-decorated hallways until they reached what had to be Sasuke's room. Everything seemed to be too large for such a small prince, from the high ceilings to the giant bed in the middle of the back wall. Sasuke dragged Naruto though his bedroom, through another door, and into his own personal washroom. Just like his bedroom, the tub was much too big for one person.

"Take off your clothes." Sasuke ordered suddenly. Naruto jumped in fright.

"Wh-_What!_" he cried. A smirk took over Sasuke's face.

"Take them off, or do I have to take them off_ for_ you?" Sasuke leaned in to breathe right into Naruto's ear, sending shivers down the slave's spine. His grip on Naruto's hand was still tight.

"Yes, Master..." Naruto grumbled, remembering his manners.

"Not "Master"." Sasuke corrected. "I don't like that. Just call me Sasuke."

"Sasuke...?" Naruto tested timidly. Sasuke laughed.

"Yes, that's me. Now, do I have to repeat myself? Take your clothes off."

Naruto winced, but saw no way out of it. Sasuke was his master now. Slowly, he started to peel his filthy shirt off, unpleasantly aware of Sasuke's eyes watching his every movement. No matter how much he stalled, the shirt finally came off and flopped listlessly on the pristine white floor. Sasuke cocked his head.

"You're moving too slow." he complained, and swooped on Naruto before he had a chance to move. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of Naruto's pants, and, ignoring all of Naruto's pleas, swiftly pulled them down, baring all of Naruto's body to the cold air. Naruto shivered and whimpered, vainly trying to conserve his modesty by covering himself with his hands. Sasuke stepped back to take in the full sight of the blond for a few seconds, then turned away (to Naruto's great relief) and bent over the side of the bathtub. He twiddled some knob hidden from Naruto's view, and several jets of water sprayed out from the walls of the tub. When it was filled to Sasuke's satisfaction, he crooked a finger at Naruto.

"Come here." he said softly. Naruto, still shivering in the cold air, hobbled over as modestly as possible. Sasuke smiled a bit at the boy's plight and, when Naruto came close enough, took his hand, guiding him gently over to the tub. While Naruto stumbled, Sasuke pulled his hands and slid the boy over the side and into the bath. Immediately Naruto's muscles unclenched in the warm, relaxing water, reducing the boy to a limp, comfortable noodle. The best part was that the surface of the water was covered with bubbles, so Sasuke couldn't stare at him like before. Dirt and grime slid off his skin like snakes, clouding the tub with brown.

"How does that feel?" Sasuke murmured into the blond's ear, scooping some water with a bucket and pouring it over Naruto's dirty hair. "Good?"

"Yeah." Naruto returned contentedly. A second later he remembered he was a slave and should not have been relaxing like that, but all thoughts were swept cleanly out of his mind when Sasuke threaded his fingers into his blond hair and started to massage his scalp.

"I know you're a slave and all," Sasuke said to the sleepy Naruto, "but at the same time you aren't. You're my playmate. That's really it. Don't be afraid. You won't be doing normal slave work. You're mine from now on."

That was the third surprise of the day.

* * *

Naruto awoke the next morning inside something warm and fluffy, a soft cloth pressed against his cheek. It occurred to him that he was a slave and shouldn't have been sleeping in something this comfy, so he bolted up and looked around.

Wherever he was, he was alone. It was obviously a different room than the prince's bedroom, as it was much smaller. There was only one door, which Naruto assumed was the entrance and exit. Naruto glanced down at his own body and found it clothed in fancier clothes than he'd ever had in his life. His skin was also clean and raw, with not a speck of dirt on it anywhere.

Suddenly he remembered the events from yesterday and curled into a little ball around his pillow. The prince... Sasuke was very confusing. Naruto remembered what he said yesterday, before Naruto fell asleep, but he still felt that he'd be kicked out of the castle quicker than a sack of potatoes if he offended the prince. And Orochimaru would be most unhappy if that happened. Orochimaru... Naruto groaned when he remembered him. Orochimaru the rebel... who expected him to aid in the plan to murder the prince who had taken him in. This in itself was now just as confusing, if not more so, than Sasuke himself. The royal family didn't seem too bad to Naruto... especially Sasuke. As strange and slightly scary as he was, he was also very nice. It was odd and a little irritating to Naruto to admit it, but he wanted to see more of the prince. This couldn't be right. Sasuke was part of the family that ruled this nation, the nation that killed his parents and took him away as a prisoner of war, forced him into slavery in the first place.

Ruminating about his situation was not changing anything, and his stomach took that chance to grumble loudly. Naruto patted it feebly, a terrible hunger overwhelming his senses. 

Swift as a fox, Naruto clambered out of bed and bolted out of his room.

The door lead straight into Sasuke's bedroom, but it was empty. Judging by the messy bedsheets, Sasuke had only recently risen too. He must have been nearby, Naruto decided, and started poking around. No sooner had he stepped out of the room when Sasuke's pink-haired nurse waiting by the door jumped and smiled.

"You are Sasuke-sama's new friend, yes? Sasuke-sama requested that you be taken to the kitchens to be fed. He awaits you there." the nurse bowed.

"Thank you..." Naruto said uncertainly. He wasn't quite used to such treatment. The servant lead him down those hallways again, but they forked off into another room just before they hit the throne room. The dining hall, which is where Naruto assumed he was, was very large, like everything else in the castle. It was all very overwhelming. The ornate table was much longer than one family possibly needed, no matter how rich. This Sasuke was sitting at, swinging his dangling legs and staring off somewhere in space.

"Sasuke-sama, your friend is here." the servant bowed again, quickly, and practically fled the room. Sasuke looked over and a grin stretched across his face. He bounced away from the table and took Naruto's hand. Naruto quietly observed that he must have liked to hold Naruto's hand, since he did so often.

"Good morning! I hope you slept well...?" Sasuke gazed unswervingly into Naruto's face.

"I did." Naruto replied stiffly. This was the prince he was supposed to kill, after all. A member of the family that forced him into slavery. He should have hated the boy. 

Sasuke clicked his tongue a little. "I never caught your name."

"My name, oh! My name is Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto flushed a little.

"Naruto." Sasuke said thoughtfully. "You probably already know me. Sasuke Uchiha. Anyway, here, you must be hungry..."

The two ate in silence after that. Sasuke kept glancing at Naruto out of the corner of his eyes, as if trying to gage Naruto's reaction to everything. Naruto wolfed down the food like he hadn't eaten properly in days, and just kept eating. The amount of food this person consumed amazed Sasuke, who typically did not each much. So different.

"Since you fell asleep yesterday, we might as well have the tour today." Sasuke said when he thought Naruto was finally finished. Naruto watched Sasuke with caution. "There's somewhere I want to take you. Can you spar at all?"

"Spar?" Naruto repeated suspiciously. "Like, fighting? Do you want me to fight you?"

Sasuke smiled mischievously. "Something like that."

"I guess I could." Naruto said doubtfully. "What if I hurt you, though?"

"I doubt you will. I can take care of myself." Sasuke replied confidently, and hopped off the chair. "Come on, I'll show you the training ground."

A few confusing hallways later, Naruto found himself facing an empty courtyard, green and tidy. Sasuke lead him over to a secluded corner and faced him, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Well? Let's spar." he said coolly. It took Naruto a moment to realize that he was being serious, and by that time, Sasuke had lunged at him. Naruto had enough reaction time to block the attack, but Sasuke took advantage of his momentary weakness and pushed him over. "You aren't very fun yet, dobe." Sasuke smiled.

"Dobe!" Naruto snapped at the nickname. Then a feral grin pushed it's way onto his face, the adrenaline of battle swirling around inside of him. Sasuke wasn't a light opponent, that was for sure. "I'm not a dobe, you teme! And you got lucky! I'll get you back for that."

"I hope you do." Sasuke smirked, and the fight was on.

Naruto had never considered himself a very weak fighter, but Sasuke was just as good as him. The two wound around the courtyard, punching and dodging and weaving around each other to find an opening. They fought for more hours than either of them cared to count, and Naruto hated to admit it, but he was having _fun. _Sasuke was a very fun opponent to fight. They were equal, in a strange way. Sasuke was more nimble and was able to dodge more of Naruto's punches than Naruto could dodge his, but Naruto had more pure power and endurance.

They fought until the sun had climbed high into the sky and burned the back of their necks, sweat coating their limbs and grins painted on their faces. Finally just as Naruto was going to throw a punch, Sasuke threw his hands in front of his face and shouted, "Stop!" Naruto flopped forward onto the cool grass, gasping for breath. Sasuke wasn't much better off, as he fell to his knees the moment Naruto was down, chest heaving. The boys both took a moment to catch their breath, and when they did, somehow, they both instinctively knew to seek out the other's eyes. In this way, their gazes met and held each other. Sasuke smiled a little, uncertainly, warmly, and it caught Naruto's breath in his throat. Sasuke really was very beautiful. He had no idea why he was just noticing this now...

"Sasuke-sama?" a voice called from the entrance to the courtyard. "Are you finished yet? It's time for your lessons!"

* * *

Every day Sasuke took Naruto somewhere knew and showed him something fun to do, and every day Naruto had to remind himself that he hated this boy, that he was only there to bring the little prince to his death. But that hate was slipping away, like a greasy orb he just couldn't get a firm grip on. There was absolutely nothing about Sasuke that Naruto had left to hate. He couldn't even bring himself to hate Sasuke because of his parents, because there was a clear gap between Sasuke and his parents. Sasuke was Sasuke, and the king and queen were themselves. Sasuke was much too innocent to hate for what his parents had done.

Naruto could no longer deny a growing attraction to the raven-haired prince.

Yet neither could he forget his parents, dead at the hands of this country's soldiers, or the chains that so often bound his wrists in the past, because he was a slave. For this, he hated the king and queen, and even Prince Itachi. But not Sasuke. There was no way Naruto could ever have hated Sasuke.

Sasuke took Naruto everywhere with him, including to audiences with the king and queen. These were particularly bad for Naruto, because that hate toward the rulers grasped hold of his heart whenever he saw them. It took all of his self control to keep his head bowed and to not run screaming from their presence, or better yet, attack them with all of his fury for their sins. Sasuke seemed to sense his opinion of them somehow, and always kept very close to Naruto whenever they went to an audience with his parents. Usually Naruto would have tried to loathe falling back on Sasuke for assistance, but he hated the king and queen so much that he used anything to keep his mind steady and clear. That anything tended to be Sasuke's hand around his, or the warmth of his body standing very close to his.

These Naruto focused on, instead of the king's grating voice.

"And you studies, Sasuke, how have they been going?"

"Fine, Father." Sasuke said, his little voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Good. You'll be a good subject for Itachi some day." his father rumbled distractedly, glancing around the hall for his oldest son. Sasuke squeezed Naruto's hand for reassurance, because he could feel rage building in Naruto's heart. That was another thing Naruto hated about the king: his flippant attitude toward his youngest son. It was always Itachi this, Itachi that... Sasuke was never outright praised. If he was, it was only by comparing him to his older brother.

Sasuke bowed quickly and escaped when his father waved his hand in a sign of dismissal. He dragged the blond out of the room, through the never-ending hallways, and out into the courtyard. The sun was shining merrily, and the grass looked greener than ever. Naruto fell belligerently down onto it as soon as they came in, causing Sasuke, who was still holding his hand, to stumble. Sasuke slumped over next to Naruto, silent, just gazing into the other boys unreadable expression.

"Where did you get these?" Sasuke asked abruptly, running light fingers over one of Naruto's cheeks, which bore three whisker-like scars. Naruto flinched from the contact.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked hoarsely, and Sasuke nodded. "... You know I'm a slave. But I wasn't always one. I'm originally from a country more south of here... Troops from this country invaded without provocation and tried to take us away. My parents were killed in the struggle and I got these." Sasuke's round eyes were wider than Naruto had ever seen them before.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke mumbled sympathetically. "I had no idea... No wonder you hate us so much."

"Not you!" Naruto said suddenly, fear twisting the inside of his chest. The words poured out before he could stop them. "Not you! I could never hate you! You've been nothing but kind to me."

Sasuke cheered a bit at this. "Really? That's good to know. I don't hate you either, Naru-chan. I like you a lot." Heat pervaded Naruto's cheeks at the nickname, and Sasuke giggled at the reaction. "You're blushing, dobe! Come on, let's go get some lunch."

* * *

That night, Naruto had a nightmare. He dreamed of his parents' deaths again.

_He revisited his old house, where his parents' blood was staining the walls he knew so well. Foreign soldiers were standing over him with blood dripping from their swords. They demanded that he come with them quietly, but he could only scream in terror. One smacked him across the face with this sword, leaving a clean, thin slash. Naruto was crying now, his own blood mixing with the tears as they passed over the cut on his face. The soldier smacked him again, and again for his disobedience, leaving two more cuts underneath the first. A perfect three-whisker formation of scars. When Naruto still refused to oblige, they smacked him three times across the other cheek, too. Terrified, half-dizzy and half-blind from tears, Naruto finally gave in and allowed them to clap chains around his wrists._  


Naruto awoke abruptly, shouting weakly into the darkness, body streaked with sweat and tears. He sat up and clung to his knees in an attempt to alleviate the trembles that wracked his body, but they refused to desist. As he sat, the darkness around seemed to morph and leer at him, hiding monsters that were just waiting for the chance to dismember him. This only shook Naruto's body even more, until he couldn't stand it any longer. Blind with terror, he ripped the bed sheets off and flung himself out the door.

Sasuke's room looked much different in the dark, as he couldn't see most of the features he knew so well. He could barely make out Sasuke's huge bed, and Sasuke sleeping quietly in the middle. He was an odd sleeper to Naruto. He hardly ever moved, and he didn't even snore at all. If one didn't know better, he could have been dead...

The warmth that the image of Sasuke had calmed Naruto with was abruptly chased out and replaced with terrifying images of Sasuke dead, covered in his own blood like Naruto's parents... Naruto stood rooted to the spot, horrified. This was exactly what Sasuke was going to be reduced to. This was exactly what Naruto was working to bring the boy to. The very thought brought bile rising in Naruto's throat.

Naruto let out a little moan of distress. Sasuke twitched, and slowly rose to consciousness at the noise. He turned over onto his back, eyes half-lidded, and noticed Naruto standing in the middle of his room. What immediately struck him was Naruto's clearly panicked state.

"You had a bad dream." Sasuke mumbled sleepily. It was not a question. Naruto jumped, clearly unaware that Sasuke had woken up.

"N-No, just go back to sleep..." Naruto said as quietly as he could, but his voice was a few octaves higher than usual. Sasuke read all he needed to know in that.

"You're lying." Sasuke sat up as much as he could, leaning against the headboard. "You did have a bad dream."

"No..." Naruto whined, unconsciously trying to block the prince's voice out. He had become forgetful as of late. He needed to reestablish his hate for the Uchiha. He needed to cling to the image of Sasuke dead, needed to take glory in it. After all, his blood would make a new era... Wouldn't it? But what kind of era could be forged out of blood, even less out of the blood of one like Sasuke, who had never harmed anyone in his life?

Sasuke could not have known exactly what his inner turmoil was, but he sensed something. "Come here." he said quietly, opening his arms. Naruto stared at them for a moment, then reluctantly slid into bed next to the prince. Sasuke wrapped his arms snugly around Naruto, rubbing his back, scratching his head and whispering anything he thought might comfort the distressed blond. But it was late, and he quickly slipped back off into sleep.

Sleep was a bit more elusive for Naruto, who lay awake for an uncountable amount of time afterward, trying to ignore the pleasurable warmth of Sasuke's body or his breath on Naruto's face. No matter what he did, though, he could no more have embraced the thought of Sasuke dead than he could have bitten his own leg off. Finally, he gave in to temptation and snuggled more comfortably into Sasuke's bed, drifting off into a light, restless slumber.

* * *

From then on, Naruto slept beside Sasuke in his bed. Sasuke said it made him more comfortable, and it admittedly kept nightmares away from Naruto's dreams. But Sasuke could not dispel the lingering unease that was starting to grow on Naruto. He'd heard nothing from Orochimaru for several weeks, so he could sense his and Sasuke's time running short.

"Naruto, pay attention when I'm talking to you." an irritated voice snapped Naruto out of his ominous thoughts, and he turned to Sasuke with a guilty smile on his face.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I was just thinking..." he said as sweetly as possible. Despite his annoyance, Sasuke's lips quirked in a smile.

"Since when do you think, dobe?" Sasuke teased. Naruto glared at the insult, to which Sasuke only laughed. "Come on, follow me. There's something I want to see." Curious, Naruto hurried after the pale boy as he lead the way through those infernal hallways, into a courtyard he'd never seen before. Sasuke had only ever taken him to the sparring field. 

"Come on, hurry up!" Sasuke called, breaking into a casual run. Naruto followed suit, curiosity thoroughly aroused. "Look!" Sasuke laughed, pointing to somewhere in the distance. Naruto strained his eyes, and found what Sasuke wanted to see.

The courtyard was walled off with stone, but beyond that, Naruto could see winding, rolling green hills rippling in the breeze. That sight would have been magnificent enough, but it was completed by...

Butterflies.

Masses of them. Clouds of fluttering butterflies, swaying in the breeze like one entity. They were flowing over the grass just beyond the stone wall. They took Naruto's breath away. They looked so free... so carefree.

Sasuke was watching him expectantly, so he said over the lump in his throat, "I-I... they're amazing. I don't know what to say."

"That's fine." Sasuke seemed satisfied. "I just wanted to show them to you." Then he smirked mischievously. "Come on, follow me. I found this before you came, when I was bored one day." He took Naruto's hand and led him to a crumbled part of the wall that nobody noticed. The boys scrambled over the rocks and onto the top of the wall.

The scene was even more breathtaking than before. Now Naruto could see the butterflies in their entirety. Great clouds of them streaming along on such a set path...

"Sakura-san said they'd be migrating today." Sasuke said carefully. He was watching Naruto closely again. "I thought you might like them."

"I... I do." It was hard to speak with a constricted throat, Naruto found. "They're really... um, pretty." he finished lamely, and scratched his nose. His ears picked up Sasuke's tinkling laugh, which made Naruto look up again.

Sasuke was sitting with his legs thrown over the wall, watching the butterflies with a slight smile on his face. The smile was like moonlight to Naruto. It was faint and softer than the sun, but it was still bright. It lit up his face like the moon. The butterflies still shimmering in the background completed the scene so perfectly that Naruto's breath caught. Sasuke must have noticed, because he turned his moon like face to Naruto, still smiling.

"What's wrong, dobe? You look shocked." he teased. Naruto flushed and considered uttering a retort, but he couldn't think of a good enough one fast. Before he could get his wits together, Sasuke leaned over and planted a light kiss on Naruto's cheek. Sasuke's lips were much softer than Naruto had imagined, a little dry too. But it was certainly good enough to wipe out any attempt Naruto was making to get his breath back.

Sasuke laughed and flipped over, hopping agilely off the wall and landing like a cat. "Come on, dobe, we don't have all day to hang around here! Come on, let's get some food!" he called. Naruto followed quickly, his head spinning like a top.

He didn't want Sasuke to die. He didn't know if he could keep his sanity together if Sasuke's blood stained his hands.

* * *

Despite their closeness, Sasuke still demanded privacy while taking a bath, so Naruto was always forced to wait outside for the little prince. He tended to amuse himself with the prince's toys, which were very interesting and sometimes breakable (he found _that_one out the hard way).

Today he was just starting to pick up an odd cannon-like thing with a lever and a few pulleys (Sasuke said he couldn't figure out how to work it, and Itachi had only given it to him to confuse him) when he was interrupted. He had never been interrupted before, but today there was a white-haired man hiding in the shadows, beckoning to him. Curious, Naruto set the toy thing down and approached the stranger, only to fall prey to the man's admittedly tight grasp on his arm. Naruto started to shout, but a hand clapped over his mouth.

"Orochimaru-sama sends me." the white-haired man whispered, glasses glinting in the faint light. This effectively shut Naruto up. Satisfied, the white-haired man tugged Naruto into his personal quarters for more privacy. In the full light, Naruto noticed a purple servant's uniform on the man.

"My name is Kabuto." he said. His voice was sharp like needles, and very businesslike. He didn't seem to waste a single word. "I've been sent by Orochimaru-sama to check up on you. Hurry, though the prince will be some time, he will emerge from the bath sooner than I'd like. Tell us, what have you found out about him?"

Naruto gulped. He didn't want to, _couldn't _trust this man with information about Sasuke... but he noticed a knife lying placidly on a shelf behind him, so he shivered a bit and said slowly, "He... he wakes up at the same time every day. He eats three times a day, every day at the same time. He talks to his parents once a day... and he studies in the afternoons."

"What about his sleep?" Kabuto asked impatiently.

"He sleeps pretty lightly..."

"That'll be a problem." Kabuto muttered to himself, half-turning from Naruto. Naruto took the opportunity to glare fiercely at his back. Kabuto abruptly whirled back to face Naruto, and Naruto's face dropped into an expression of dumb surprise. "Listen, boy, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but Orochimaru-sama is planning to attack at night. I don't care what you do, but restrain the prince somehow. I heard that nurse of the prince's saying you sleep in the same bed?" Naruto needed mutely in confirmation. "That'll make your task easier. To help," Kabuto snatched the knife off the shelf and held it out to Naruto, "you can have this. Hide it under your mattress if need be. If we don't come in time and the little prince is bothering you, it's up to you to kill him first, OK? Orochimaru-sama would prefer to not to take that path, but if you must, you have orders to do so. The important thing is that the prince gets killed. The revolution will happen in a few days. Now hurry back, the prince should be out soon." Without missing a beat, Kabuto pushed Naruto out of the room and, watching carefully for others, shoved him back into the prince's room. "Now hurry and put that under the mattress." Kabuto hissed, and lingered long enough to watch Naruto scurry over and hide the knife under the mattress. Then he slipped out like he'd never even been there at all.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called, the door to the bathroom cracking open and releasing a puff of steam. "Are you there?"

It took a moment for Naruto to gather his wits enough to yell back, "Yeah, I'm here!"

Sasuke emerged, patting his damp hair and clutching a towel to his waist. "Oh, good. I thought I heard something weird... do you want the next... bath..." Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he took the sight of his friend in. "What's wrong, Naruto? You look really pale. What happened?"

Naruto's legs couldn't hold him anymore, so he set himself gently down on the ground next to the bed. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong." Naruto said brightly, flashing a brave smile at Sasuke.

"You're _lying _again." Sasuke said calmly, sitting down next to Naruto. The blond flinched unconsciously. Sasuke was sitting right in front of the hidden knife. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I..." Naruto knew he had to lie. The only problem was that was he was a terrible liar. "I was, uh... thinking about my- my parents. Yeah." Sasuke still looked doubtful, but if Naruto's parents were truly involved... Sasuke decided to let the issue drop.

"Come on, you moron. Just take a bath." Sasuke said fondly, and pushed Naruto off to the washroom.

* * *

_Never end. I never want this to end. I want to stay here for the rest of our lives._

Every noise that night was magnified to an unbearable degree. Naruto could hear every creak, every breath of wind... He knew what was coming. He knew _who _was coming, too. The Grim Reaper was coming, circling closer over the castle like a vulture. He was going to get his fill of blood that night... Naruto shivered. It was impossible to think about that. Terrible to think about the revolution staged for that night.

Naruto couldn't sleep that night. He was holding Sasuke around the waist, sniffing in his scent and listening to him breathe for as long as possible, trying to block out the telltale sounds. Every time a footstep reached his ears, he whimpered a little and clung harder to Sasuke's shirt.

As quiet was he was trying to be, it was inevitable that Sasuke, being the light sleeper he was, would wake up.

"Nnn... Naruto?" he mumbled thickly into Naruto's collarbone. "Whasamatter? Why are you awake?"

"Nothing." Naruto replied softly, squeezing his eyes shut and thinking about the knife under the mattress. "Go back to sleep."

"Did you have another nightmare?" Sasuke asked, rising slowly to full consciousness. Naruto bit his lip. The image of the knife wouldn't be dispelled.

"... Not really." Naruto admitted, then took a risk and pecked his forehead briefly. "Go back to sleep."

"Wait, I hear something..." Sasuke sat up a little straighter, eyes unfocused. Naruto's heart skipped a few beats. Sasuke wasn't supposed to wake up. If he woke up, that knife under the bed...

"No, it's probably nothing." Naruto murmured, clinging harder to Sasuke's shirt. "Just go back to sleep..." But the noises were reaching his ears by that time too. Shouting, and some feminine screaming. Sasuke sat up completely, wide black eyes shining in the dark.

"What is that?" he whispered. "What's happening?" Fear and panic was taking hold of Naruto. He couldn't let it end like this... but what if he _didn't_let it end like this? What if Sasuke could escape...? "What's happening to them?" he heard Sasuke ask, as if from a great distance. He tugged Sasuke back down by the neck of his shirt and held him there with his arms around the prince's neck. A confession pushed itself to the edge of his tongue, and everything spilled out of him at once.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I've done a horrible thing." he whispered, tears leaking out of his eyes.

"What? What did you do?" Sasuke asked, patting his head awkwardly.

"You have to understand, I didn't want to! I had no choice! I'm a slave, it's not like I ask to get sold!" Naruto cried wildly all of a sudden. He gulped a bit, then calmly began his story. "I was sold a few months ago to Orochimaru. He... he said he would free the slaves. He gave me to you... said I needed to watch you. It... it's him, Sasuke. It's a revolution."

"Those noises...?" Sasuke sounded horrified. It sent a thrill of dread into Naruto's cranium.

"The revolution is staged for tonight." he muttered. "That's probably them..." Then, eager to get everything off his chest, he scrambled out of Sasuke's warm embrace and out of bed. He struggled for a moment to pull up the heavy mattress, thrust his little hand under it and groped for the cold metal of the knife.

He saw Sasuke's eyes glinting in the darkness, wide with fear, when he pulled it out into plain sight. "Kabuto gave it to me. He said... Orochimaru is coming here tonight. Everyone has to die." he closed his eyes against the tears threatening to spill over. "He said I'm supposed to keep you here until Orochimaru gets here. If I can't, then I'm... I'm supposed to kill you first."

Naruto could practically feel Sasuke's sharp intake of breath in his bones. His eyes shot open, as fearful as Sasuke's. "I won't, though! I'd never hurt you, Sasuke! Believe it! You have to!" Then he was forced to close his eyes again. His eyes felt too warm and damp. Tears leaked down his cheeks in spite of himself. "I'd never tell you all of this if I wasn't loyal to you. I don't want to see you die, Sasuke. I _love_you. You have to believe me." He suddenly chucked the knife away, violently, across the room.

"Y-You..." Sasuke's voice sounded light and breathy with terror. "You've been... all this time... and you never told me? Orochimaru... he's been planning this... and... oh god, my parents! What about them? A-Are they--!"

"You can't worry about them!" Naruto cried, stomach lurching. "If you do, you'll die, Sasuke! I can't watch you die! Come on, I can save you!" He crawled half-heartedly onto the bed, toward the dark-haired Uchiha, stretching one hand out to him.

Sasuke slapped the hand away. "Don't touch me! You knew this whole time! And if you told us, you could've saved... my parents..." Sasuke choked a little, and rushed suddenly for the door. Naruto caught him around the waist and held him fast. "Let me _go, _you _traitor_! I trusted you, and look where we are now! My parents! My brother! They_can't _be dead, they _can't be_!" Those words stung like a poison thorn, but somewhere deep in his heart Naruto knew he deserved it. He could feel furious tears falling on his shirt, so he hugged the Uchiha a little tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke, but there's nothing you can do! Let's just concentrate on getting you out of here--"

"Ah, so you're both still here. Good." a silky voice cut into their little world. Cold, skin-crawling dread washed over both children.

Orochimaru was standing in the doorway, splattered unflatteringly with blood, a smoking gun in one hand and a vintage sword gleaming red in the other. "Sasuke." he addressed the trembling prince with sadistic amusement. "You're the last Uchiha alive now, did you know that? I killed the rest of your family." Sasuke let out a pained groan. "But it was over so quickly. Much too boring. I want to have a little fun with you before I kill you." In one swift movement, Orochimaru knocked Naruto out of the way and pinned Sasuke to the bed by a death-hold on his throat with one long, spidery hand.

Naruto shouted with pain and fear as he fell hard onto the rough floor, but that pain was nothing compared to the stab of terror that Sasuke's following scream sent into him. Naruto was on his feet again in a flash to see Orochimaru's teeth clamped over Sasuke's neck. The prince's skin was broken, and blood was dripping down his neck and Orochimaru's chin. Orochimaru's other hand was fumbling with the prince's pants.

With a furious roar, Naruto lunged at Orochimaru and pulled his long, oily black hair so hard the man's head snapped backward, ripping his hold off Sasuke. When Orochimaru growled and swung around to knock Naruto away again, Naruto ducked and punched Orochimaru in the gut so hard the man fell over backward, wheezing unpleasantly. Without skipping a beat, Naruto snagged Sasuke's hand and fled out of the room with him.

They had only run down a few of the confusing hallways when two rebels turned the corner they had been heading toward, so the children skidded to a halt and hurled down a different hallway. But there were more waiting for them down there. Without any other options, Naruto pulled Sasuke into a deserted hallway and shoved the little prince into a closet, closing the door silently behind them.

"Do you think we were followed?" Naruto asked quietly, both of their heavy breathing magnified ten times in the cramped space. The little that Naruto could see of Sasuke's head in the dark shook in dissent.

"Naruto..." Sasuke's voice sounded so broken. Naruto felt the lean body edge forward and pull him into a shaky embrace. "I'm scared, Naruto..."

Naruto wrapped his arms securely around Sasuke's shoulders. "I know... we'll get out of this. No way we can't. We can do anything together." His only response was a soggy little laugh.

They waited there in silence for what felt like years. It might have been, for all the children paid attention. It could have been hours, weeks or months. It didn't matter. Footsteps pounded through the halls once in a while, but the closet was well-hidden from view. It was a weapons closet that was only visible to those that knew it was there.

So both children were unpleasantly surprised when the door slowly slid open without a sound. They clung to each other, holding their breaths, as a woman slipped into the closet. She seemed to sense the other two presences, however, as her breath caught.

"Who's there?" she whispered. Sasuke tensed in Naruto's arms.

"Sakura-san?" he whispered harshly. The woman started.

"_Sasuke-_sama! Oh, thank the lord, we all thought you were dead! Oh god... Sasuke-sama, the king and--"

"I know." Sasuke cut his nurse off hurriedly. "I heard from Orochimaru..." he gulped. Just saying the name seemed painful.

"How will you escape?" Sakura asked, sliding forward toward the children. "The castle's swarming with that rebel's army, and he's looking for you... I and the other loyalists only escaped by pretending to join or just surrendering. They think I'm--"

"Shh!" Naruto hissed suddenly. Boots stomped past their hiding spot, and voices shouted roughly at each other outside. The closet's occupants held their breaths tightly until the boots stormed away again.

"You can't stay here, Sasuke-sama." Sakura whispered nervously. "Hold on, maybe if we disguise you with a cloak... that might work. But they aren't letting anyone out of the castle--"

"I know where we can escape from." Sasuke said quietly. "The wall fell down at one place in the third courtyard. From there it isn't far to the docks..."

"And we could get a boat to carry you away!" Sakura finished breathlessly. "Because you know it won't be safe for you anywhere in this country, not for a few years at least..." 

Naruto winced. He'd been afraid of that. Sasuke must have felt his tenseness, because he kissed the blond's cheek lightly.

"You're coming with me, of course." he said it so matter-of-factly. Naruto nodded fervently. Who cared about freeing the other slaves now when he was in _love._ Sakura looked a bit pensive, but she didn't voice any complaints.

"Ok, then, follow me... the rebel army has just been attacked by the King's army." Sakura said with relish. "It'll be easier to escape now... come on."

While Naruto and Sasuke sneaked around the castle in the shadows, Sakura lead the way, scouting out routes for the boys to take and serving as a lookout. The pink-haired nurse had been right; the army was now engaged with the regular King's army and couldn't be bothered to look for a little kid. The children's escape was mostly undisturbed.  
Until they reached the courtyard.

"_You there! Stop!_" A masculine voice shouted at them from atop one of the castle's lookouts. A moment later, a shrill whistle pierced the silence. "_Come quick, come quick! The prince is escaping! Third courtyard, third courtyard, the prince is escaping!" _  


"Run!" Sakura cried desperately. All three of them took off sprinting down the grassy plane, toward the section of crumbled wall that Sasuke had once taken Naruto to, back when the boys still had peace. That time seemed like an eternity ago to Naruto.

The group scrambled over the fallen rocks and barreled across the field behind it. At the dock, only one boat was ready to leave. A passenger's boat. The three of them pushed their tired selves even faster and shot toward it, shouting for the captain.

A burly-looking seaman emerged from the boat's bowels. "What, what? Who's shouting?" he yelled irritably.

"Captain, we need passage!" Sakura gasped, clutching a stitch in her side. "Please, it's urgent..."

The captain eyed them warily. They saw his eyes flit up the countryside, obviously to the castle. "What's the commotion, then?" he asked gruffly.

"There's a..." Sakura glanced nervously at the boys. "There's trouble at the castle..."

"The king and queen are dead." Sasuke said shortly. "They're going to kill me too if I can't escape."

The captain's eyes popped right out of his head. "You don't say! Then you are...?"

"The youngest prince." Sasuke cast his gaze downward.

"You're just a boy, though! What harm can you cause those rebels?"

"They're afraid of what he stands for." Sakura said quickly. "He could grow up and try to take the crown back. That's what they think."

"I don't want the crown. I just want to stay alive." Sasuke said softly.

The captain just stared into the distance, toward the castle's general direction. "... I never disliked the king and queen." he said finally. "I didn't particularly like their rule, but they never made trouble for an honest seaman like myself. Ok, boy, I can help you." The whole group let out a collective sigh of relief. "But I only have room for one. She's booked full, otherwise. One won't weigh her down too much, but three... I can't take three." All three faces twisted in shock and grief, and Sasuke clung a little harder to Naruto.

"... There's nothing we can do." Sakura sighed. "Naruto-kun and I can survive, but you, Sasuke-sama... you'd be dead on the spot if they catch you. You have to leave."

Sasuke looked uncertainly to Naruto, and, forcing a lump in his throat away, Naruto nodded. "You can't stay." the blond said thickly. "I don't want to watch you get killed." A few tears rolled down his cheeks. Sasuke wiped them away.

"I'll come back." he promised. "I don't know when, but I will."

"I believe you." Naruto said simply. The boys pressed their foreheads together, just a simple gesture of affection.

"Nine years." Sasuke said suddenly. "It'll take me nine years to get back on my feet. I'll... I'll come back then. I promise."

Naruto gulped. Nine years was a long time. "I-I believe you. I'll wait for you. I promise."

"Me too." Sasuke said solemnly. "I swear I'll never look at anyone else."

The captain and Sakura waited patiently. When their moment was over, Sasuke gently pried himself away from Naruto and climbed onto the boat. He stayed outside as it started to sail away.

"Wait, Naruto!" Sasuke called from the boat. "As your master, I officially free you!"

Another tear leaked out of Naruto's eyes. "Thank you, Sasuke!" he shouted, his voice cracking. Sakura wrapped one arm around his shoulder. "I love you..." Tears blurred his vision too badly to see Sasuke anymore, but he knew that the boy stayed out on the deck until the boat faded from sight.

Nine years wouldn't be too long to wait, right?

* * *

_Author's Note: _Watch out for the **epilogue, **it will come out soon! **REVIEW, **dear god, if you love me:D 


	2. Epilogue

_**Disclaimer:** _I won none of the characters here. I am not making any sort of profit from writing this.

_**Author's Note:** _I honestly didn't expect it to take this long to get this thingy out. But, see, I sort of ran into a little snag. I read the story over again, and I found out one teensy little problem:

I _hate _this story. It's pretentious and overdone and all-around irritating. There is _no _redeeming quality about it, not even the SasuNaru fluff. I forced this epilogue out because I felt like I owed it to the people who reviewed, but... ugh. I won't be taking this story off the internet or anything, but I hate it nonetheless.

Now I have new music and I'm in a damn heavy mood for some heartbreak... but I didn't inflict that mood on this story at all. Lucky you. Damn it.

_**Warning:** _Shounen-ai. Boy x boy. Boys kissing. Implied sex. Don't like it? Leave.

* * *

Nine years. The words were so little, yet represented such a long amount of time. Naruto knew that from the beginning. He thought he could handle it. He hardened himself and kept smiling through the sting. He thought he could handle a few years without Sasuke. The only thing he hadn't factored in was the loneliness.

Eighteen-year-old Naruto mused silently as he approached the tombstones hidden away in a quiet and shady grove of trees, a bouquet of white flowers resting in the crook of his arm. The loneliness wasn't _too _biting, he chastised himself lightly. He still had Sakura. And a whole lot of new friends to keep him company. He couldn't remember smiling so much in his whole life...

None of those really compared to how he'd felt around Sasuke, though. Naruto knelt in front of the tombs and set the flowers down on the grass, damp with morning dew. He bowed his head and honored each of the stones, lingering on the last and smallest of them. They were all nameless... Naruto knew they'd be horribly defiled if they had names. But he knew who those empty stones were honoring.

The bodies of the Uchihas weren't buried there. They'd been burned and tossed into the wind, never to be seen again. Orochimaru had been that paranoid, all right. But that hadn't stopped Naruto and Sakura from building empty, nameless graves for them. No one really came to honor them anymore, not even Sakura. They all moved on.

Naruto touched the top of the smallest stone hesitantly. He was fervently sure that Sasuke wasn't dead, but he still carved an empty grave for him. Perhaps he was inwardly honoring Sasuke's departure. Outwardly, he said that he just wanted something to remember the boy by.

Naruto sighed and stood up again, two round wet spots on his knees where they came into contact with the dewy grass. He had to hurry home. Sakura expected him to take the shopping list to the market.

* * *

"Oh, Naruto, good morning."

"Morning, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto greeted the white-haired man as he made his way down the cobbled streets. With some difficulty, Naruto pushed his way through the crowd to stand next to Kakashi, where he was leaning on a wall outside the schoolhouse. "Why are you hanging around here? School doesn't get out for another hour."

"Yes, I know." Kakashi sighed dramatically. "But you see, I'm missing my Dolphin-chan so much that I have to wait here and fantasize about him."

Naruto snickered. "Yeah, I'm sure you're imagining that porn in your hands as yourself and Iruka-sensei, hm?" Kakashi's eye, the only one not hidden by a mask, widened and fixed on him.

"I most certainly am not!" Kakashi cried, scandalized. Naruto snatched the questionable orange book out of his hands and inspected it critically.

"... Kakashi-sensei, this book has all the names crossed out and replaced with your name and Iruka-sensei." Naruto said dryly, smirking at him. Kakashi shrugged elegantly.

"So? That's more sophisticated than simply imagining them to be Iruka-chan and myself."

Naruto laughed at his strange teacher and melted into the crowd again. "Sure, whatever you say, you pervert! Say hi to Iruka-sensei for me, and tell him I'll come visit if I have the time!" Kakashi waved lazily and returned focus to his book.

Naruto thrived in the noisy, busy atmosphere of the market. The cobbled streets, the hustle and bustle, the bright flags that splashed color onto the stone buildings, vendor's stalls lining the roads... yes, Naruto loved it here. He'd never been more calm...

_Sasuke _flitted through his mind, but he pushed it down. It was a little, weak voice. It was easy to smother.

Sapphire eyes flitting side to side, Naruto wound his way through the crowd, looking over the food stalls for what he needed. He pulled a list out of his pocket, contemplated it briefly, then sailed quickly through the crowd.

"Naruto-niisan!!" Something small and brown suddenly tackled Naruto's knees hard, like a bullet. Naruto spluttered and nearly fell over.

"Konohamaru! I told you to stop that! I'm going to fall someday!" Naruto scolded, disentangling himself from the eager preteen.

"But you said you'd train with me three days ago!" Konohamaru protested, scowling enormously at the blond. Naruto laughed uneasily.

"Yeah, but you see, I've been so busy... Sakura's got me hopping everywhere, speaking of which, she'll kill me if I'm late with the groceries, so I should go, bye!" Dodging the angry yells, Naruto sidled into a nearby flower shop.

The shop was clean, and rather empty. Smiling to himself, Naruto strolled along the side of the shop, browsing the colorful flowers. As he poked a strange yellow plant that looked like it could take a few fingers off if it wasn't watched, Naruto heard a squeal of delight. The next second, something slim, yet quite heavy flung itself onto his shoulders, giggling obscenely.

"Naruto!" a feminine voice just about defeaned him. "Just the man I wanted to see!"

"Ino!" Naruto tried to laugh through the chokehold she had him in. "I-Ino, you're strangling me, get off...!"

"Narutoooo, our delivery man is on sick leave and we need these flowers delivered to Hinata's, secretly." Ino purred into his ear. "You'll help me, won't you?"

"But what if Hinata-chan sees me delivering them? She'll get the wrong idea." Naruto frowned and gently pried Ino's arms off of his shoulders. "You _know _she has a thing for me... Kiba won't be happy."

"Which is why you need to be totally secret!" Ino grinned. It somehow reminded Naruto of a wolf hiding in sheepskin.

"Why, Ino, I think you want me to mess up." Naruto scolded lightly, tapping the top of her head with the back of his fist.

Ino shrugged innocently. "Hinata _has _been crushing on you for a long time... why haven't you ever asked her out, Naruto? She's so sweet." The girl placed her hands on her hips and scowled at Naruto.

For a moment, turmoil swept across Naruto's mind. '_Because I'm saving myself for a boy who could be dead for all I know.' _He shook his head, in turn shaking those thoughts away, and smiled brightly, too brightly. Painfully, if Ino could have recognized the signs. "Because Kiba likes Hinata, Ino. Come on, _you _of all gossips should know that we don't interfere with our friends' girls." Naruto batted the bouquet out of Ino's arms and twirled it around idly. "Actually, I came here to pick up some sunflowers."

"That time of the year, huh?" Ino wrinkled her nose. "You always need cheering up around this time of the year. Why is that?"

"I'm not telling." Naruto winked and stuck his tongue out at the shop clerk. "Now, if you give me those sunflowers for free, perhaps I can drop by Hinata's in secret and drop these babies off for Kiba."

Ino's face darkened with confusion momentarily, but like a cloud it passed and Ino smiled again. "All right then, but don't you go messing up! Kiba and everyone rooting for him will hate you!" She hopped around the edge of the store for a moment, carefully plucking out a few of the best sunflowers and wrapping them. "There you go, all set." She thrust the sunflowers into Naruto's arms, then promptly turned him around and shoved him out the door. "Toodles, don't be a stranger, and remember, secrecy!"

Bemusedly, Naruto sailed down the street easily with the velocity of Ino's push and made his way toward the food stalls lining the side of the main Market street.

_'Dairy, dairy... ah, dairy stall. There.' _Shifting the flowers in the crook of his arm, Naruto hopped over to the dairy stall and haggled the price of his usual amount of milk and cheese. He took the bag when the final deal had been made and handed over the money. _'Okay, dairy has been accomplished. Bread...'__  
_

One by one, Naruto got the shopping done. Arms full of bags, Naruto haphazardly fumbled his way back home, making a quick stop at Hinata's empty house to drop off the flowers. When he finally stumbled his way into his home and dropped the groceries and the sunflowers on the counter, he sighed and stretched his sore arms. "Damn, people should really tell those guys that milk weighs more than they think it does." he muttered to himself, turning his back on the counter.

The moment his voice ceased, the silence draped over him. Like a magnet, Naruto's awareness was drawn to the other presence, the presence that seemed to fill the whole room with it's uncomfortable aura. Sighing to himself, Naruto gave in to the magnet's pull and faced the presence, the bundle of sunflowers lying innocently on the table. Swiftly he picked them up, unwrapped them, and dropped them into a vase on the kitchen table. He stared morosely at them for a while, occasionally lifting one finger to idly stroke a bright yellow petal.

"Maybe I'm just being stupid." he murmured to himself. The sound of his voice seemed magnified in the soft silence. "Maybe I've been wasting the last last nine years of my life on a false hope."

The last statement hung heavily in the air until Naruto smacked his cheeks with both palms and shook his head. "No. I promised myself that I wouldn't look back." he said with determination. "Sasuke gave me this life, so I promised myself I wouldn't regret anything."

With that said, Naruto grew tired of thinking and wandered into his room to take a nap.

* * *

When Naruto's eyes cracked open again, the front door was squeaking shut and a woman was calling his name from the front of the house. Slowly, Naruto pulled himself out of his room and emerged in the living room.

"Welcome home, Sakura." he grinned indulgently at her. "How was the hospital?"

"Empty, luckily, which means that I came home early." Sakura shook her petal pink hair out of it's tight ponytail and returned Naruto's smile. "Did you get the food?"

"I did." he said in a long-suffering tone of voice. "That milk was so heavy, Sakuraaa!"

"Oh, don't whine at me, you baby." she teased, tapping him playfully on the had as she walked past him toward the kitchen. Naruto's smile fell as he heard Sakura freeze, then sigh heavily. "Naruto..." he heard her voice begin in a mollifying tone.

"Don't bother, Sakura. I've heard your lecture before." Naruto cut her off as he entered the kitchen behind her. Sakura's sad jade eyes were flicking from him to the sunflowers on the table.

"But you haven't taken it to heart." Sakura scolded softly. "It's been nine years, Naruto... you should move on. If you can't forget, at least move on."

"... I don't want to." Naruto said, unable to meet her eyes.

"I know you can't forget him. I can't either." Sakura admitted. "But you should... enjoy life more. Sasuke wouldn't have wanted you to keep yourself cooped up like this."

"Now, I _know _that isn't true." Naruto laughed, but it sounded fake. "Sasuke was a possessive little guy, remember? He'd have been pissed if I started dating other people." Sakura still didn't seem convinced, however, so Naruto sighed and dropped the pretenses. "Sakura, I promised him that I'd wait." he murmured, his expression suddenly heavy with depression. "And I never go back on my promises."

Sakura's face dropped. "... I see. I believe that Sasuke would have wished for your happiness more than anything, and it's clear to me that you aren't happy. But it's your decision in the end." Sakura slid by Naruto, her hair fanning slightly over his shoulder, and left the kitchen. Naruto settled himself in a chair at the table, his eyes firmly fixed on the sunflowers.

"... You're wrong." he said to nothing. "Sasuke would have wanted me for himself, and I plan on keeping myself for him." His hand drifted up to toy idly with a soft yellow petal. "I'm making the right choice. You'll see."

* * *

The next day, Naruto went downtown again. As he was weaving his way around the people that crowded the cobbled streets, he grinned at the smells of rotting fish, frying meat and the nearby ocean, and the sound of the thrum of countless conversations happing all around him. This was _his _city, and it's energy resounded inside him.

As he wandered aimlessly around the shops, someone locked a strong arm around Naruto's neck from behind. Naruto yelped and struggled.

"Fox face!" a gruff voice practically yelled right next to his year. "Ino tells me that you delivered the flowers to Hinata's. Please, please tell me you didn't mess up!"

"Of course not, Kiba!" Naruto half-choked. Some cynical part of him wondered why everyone enjoyed strangling him from behind. "Like I'd make _that _kind of mistake! Now let me go, I can't breathe!" he elbowed Kiba in the gut, and the chokehold released him. Naruto turned to face his shaggy-haired friend and his gigantic white dog, Akamaru. Akamaru released a friendly bark that rumbled like a landslide and wagged his tail happily at seeing Naruto, causing the bystanders to route a much wider path around the dog to avoid getting hit in the face.

"Sorry, man." Kiba grinned apologetically. "I was just nervous, y'know. You're not that great at sneaking around, and Hinata does have her eye on you..."

"Not for long." Naruto winked. "Hinata is looking at you more and more these days, you know. I haven't exactly encouraged her crush on me."

"Yeah, that's true." Kiba wasn't even trying to seem modest. He puffed his chest up and smirked with pride. Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend's arm so they could keep walking while they talked. Akamaru followed close behind.

"Why didn't you give Hinata the flowers yourself?" Naruto asked conversationally as they made their way toward the docks. "Having them delivered in secret isn't as romantic, you know."

"I was nervous, okay?" Kiba said uncomfortably. "What if she rejected me to my face? I couldn't stand that."

"She wouldn't do that, she's too nice." Naruto argued, watching fishermen pulling in their boats and tugging nets full of fish onto the docks.

"You don't know that." Kiba said stubbornly, then blinked with interest at something in front of them. "Oh, look, a passenger ship is pulling in."

Sure enough, a massive white ship puffing steam was releasing it's passengers onto shore. Kiba and Naruto stopped to watch them with mild curiosity.

"Look at that. Some foreigners on that ship." Kiba noted, pointing out the foreigners now stepping onto land. Naruto observed them with amusement.

Four of them stood together, their heads turning, taking in every detail they could see. They all had hoods, but only two of them were actually wearing their hoods, effectively hiding their faces. The other two, however, had dropped their hoods to hang around their necks, and looked to be arguing quite fiercely.

The first, a redheaded woman with thick black glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, was gesturing fiercely at the man she was arguing with. The man, a pallid person with pure white hair and sharp teeth, crossed his arms and stayed silent, smirking an infuriating smirk all throughout the woman's tirade. Naruto and Kiba couldn't see any details of their companions' faces because of the black hoods they wore, but they were both white-skinned. One towered over the others, a huge, hulking figure of a man. The other was normal-sized, and fairly inconspicuous, from what they could see. Both of them chose to ignore their arguing friends.

Naruto and Kiba snickered as the babble of the foreign language that the woman was shrieking in reached their ears. That woman had such an obnoxious voice! People were staring to give their group awkward stares.

"I wonder what they're arguing about." Naruto said thoughtfully.

"Maybe that guy called her fat." Kiba sniggered. "Poor bastard."

"He doesn't look like he cares, though." Naruto pointed out, waving at the man's completely relaxed posture.

They both watched with fascination as the slim man with his hood over his face finally stepped in between the arguing couple. With just a few short words that Naruto and Kiba could barely hear, he silenced both of them. The natives were intruiged at the amount of respect that man received from his companions. Even the white-haired man followed his orders, however grudgingly he did so.

With that obstacle out of the way, the leader promptly turned away from his friends and, without even waiting for them to catch up, joined the crowd flowing through the streets. They seemed to expect the move, however, and instantly jumped in behind him.

"Well, that was boring." Kiba sighed. "Come on, let's go get some food.

"Yeah, that sounds great." Naruto's stomach agreed through his mouth, and the pair slipped into the stream of the crowd just like the foreigners.

Naruto, of course, dragged Kiba and Akamaru off to Ichiraku's, because Naruto refused to go anywhere else for lunch if he had the money. Kiba, of course, actually had the money, but none of this made a difference to Naruto. He was a moocher by profession.

While they gobbled the delicious noodles at a table outside the restaurant in the sunshine, Kiba gave Naruto a sour look and asked, "Hey... why don't you start dating, man? I don't think I've ever seen out around with a chick."

Naruto spluttered a bit, spraying himself with half-eaten soup. "Shit! Warn a guy, why don't you?" Naruto grumbled, wiping the front of his shirt with a napkin. "Maybe I don't want to."

"That can't be true." Kiba objected. "With all the hot girls around... hell, you _live _with one!"

Naruto spat his food out, yet again. "WHAT?!" he nearly shrieked. "Sakura is twice my age! She's like... my mom!"

"Okay, okay." Kiba said, raising an eyebrow. "Just saying..."

"Excuse me." a smooth voice cut in. Kiba and Naruto both looked around at the interruption.

Standing before their little outdoor table were none other than the foreigners that they'd seen disembarking from the ship. The big hulking man still wore his hood, and stood toward the back. The redheaded woman and pale-faced man were side by side, looking irritated. And right in front of them was the man who was obviously the leader of the group. He hadn't ridden himself of his hood yet either.

Neither Kiba nor Naruto gave any indication of their recognition. "I saw you two at the docks." the man said, his mouth curling into a little smirk.

"How?" Kiba asked, puzzled. "We weren't that close."

"Your giant dog is hard to miss." the stranger said dismissively, nodding at Akamaru, who growled back. "But that's not why I'm here. I was wondering... do you know of an inn close by where we could stay?"

The woman said something indignantly to him in her foreign tongue. He retorted with a few sharp words that shut her up. One of Naruto's eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, there's one on the other side of town." Kiba didn't notice anything strange. "Just follow the main road, you can't miss it."

"I wouldn't bet on that." the stranger chuckled, a low roll deep in his throat. It made Naruto smile. "I've never been here before."

"New, huh?" Kiba grinned. "Welcome to our country. I hope you enjoy your stay." he winked, and the stranger laughed a bit again.

"Really? I don't believe you're truly new here." Naruto piped up. Suddenly, all eyes were turned on him. Kiba seemed confused, but the stranger... from what he could see, that man wasn't perturbed in the least. "You, at least," he cocked his finger at the leader, "can speak our language perfectly, with a perfect accent and everything. Plus, when you speak your other language, your accent is different than your friends' accents. I'd guess that this language is your native tongue?"

The leader's smirk didn't disappear, but his eyebrows raised with surprise. "You're very observant."

"Holy hell." Kiba glanced back and forth from Naruto to the stranger. "You _aren't _new here? Why didn't you say so?"

The stranger shrugged. "Technically, I am from this country, but I've been away for so long that I might as well not be."

"How long?" Naruto questioned conversationally. But his heart was picking up speed.

"I don't remember now." the man replied smoothly. But he spoke so quickly that Naruto smelled a lie.

"... What's your name?" It was becoming difficult for Naruto to keep his voice controlled. The stranger locked him in place with his gaze, and stared Naruto down for quite some time. Naruto could tell that he was being sized up, examined from all angles, and...

.... _recognized?_

The stranger stepped forward a little bit. His expression has closed off greatly. Now he couldn't be read.

"Who are you?" he asked softly. It was clear that he was speaking to Naruto only. Naruto couldn't respond, short of breath as he was all of a sudden. The man's hand lifted slight, lifted toward Naruto's scarred cheeks. "Those scars... Where did you get them?"

Naruto's heart jumped rapidly. No one had asked about his scars, no one, no one since-

The pale-faced man said something short and agitated to the leader in their foreign language. The leader ignored him. Then the redhead tugged on his sleeve, insisting in a quick roll of unintelligible words.

"Maybe you should go, man." Kiba said uncertainly, obviously a little shaken.

The moment broke. The stranger's hand dropped like a stone, and in an instant he backed far away from their table.

"Thank you for the information." he said shortly, then disappeared in the crowd flowing along the main street. The other three disappeared along with him.

Naruto's heart plummeted.

With a screech he pushed his stool backward and stood up. "You _idiot!_" he shouted furiously at poor confused Kiba. "_Why _did you chase him off like that?!"

"What? He was... he was looking at you weird." Kiba stammered, shrinking back a little.

"That could've been- That might've been-" Naruto ranted, but cut himself off each time. His mind was whirling crazily.

The possibility... was outlandish, in too many ways. Completely impossible. But if it was _his _return... the timing was right. And the language was right. If only he'd asked that man's name sooner.

Without another word, Naruto flew away, half-knocking over his stool, and threw himself into the crowd after that stranger. He cast his eyes around in every direction... but they'd long since disappeared. Naruto swore foully and took off running down the street, completely oblivious to Kiba's calls.

After all, he knew where the stranger was heading. The closest inn was on the other side of town.

* * *

"Four outsiders wearing hoods? Yes, they have a room here."

Naruto actually sagged against the doorframe of the entrance to the inn in his relief, much to the bemusement of the innkeeper. "Are they in right now?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.

"Yes..." the innkeeper said slowly, rubbing his chin as he thought about his answer. He was about to say some afterthought, but Naruto interrupted him.

"Can I see them?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Sir, this is a private inn." the innkeeper said sternly. "I'll ask them first, but if they say no visitors, I'm afraid you're out of luck."

Naruto only nodded; that seemed reasonable. So the innkeeper shuffled off into the hallway behind him, turned a corner and was gone from sight.

Naruto sighed to himself and shifted into a more comfortable position on the doorway. If this chase ended up being fruitless, he was afraid he might break. If that _wasn't _who he thought it was in that room, he'd have worked himself up over nothing.

The innkeeper returned, shaking his head a bit. "They said it's okay for you to visit." he said.  
"Follow me."

The man lead him to a room toward the end of the hallway, next to the stairs. He nodded inside, then left Naruto alone. With a pounding heart, Naruto slid the sliding door open.

Inside sat the same group of foreigners that spoke with him before. But... _no._

Only _three _of them were actually _in_ the room.

The redheaded woman noticed him first, and she stood up and walked to the center of the room, tossing her hair and tapping her foot with agitation. The two men didn't move from their spots situated on either side of the room from each other, but the white-haired man did a at least have the motivation to pick his head off the pillow of the bed he was laying on to glare at him sullenly. The other one in the room, the beefy, hulking man, still wore his hood, and made no movements at all.

The leader, the man Naruto was looking for, was nowhere in sight.

"You want what?" the woman standing before Naruto said slowly and deliberately, her voice so thick with an accent that Naruto almost missed her question. Beneath the accent he could also hear some annoyance.

"I, uh, I was j-just looking for someone." Naruto stuttered nervously. The woman was quite imposing. "The other person from your group... where is he? Did he leave?"

The redhead blinked at him uncomprehendingly from behind her thick lenses, then muttered something to herself in her native tongue and turned her back on him. The white-haired man said something snidely to her, and she snapped angrily at him. Naruto frowned at the sudden outbreak of foreign bickering that he couldn't understand.

"Enough." a deep voice rumbled, and the couple ceased their fighting. The big man in the corner stirred a bit, then lifted himself off the ground. Then, in one steady movement, he unmasked himself.

Golden hair spiked out wildly at the back of his head. Little tufts of hair fell across the man's broad forehead. A strong jaw lead down to a thick neck. But what really drew Naruto's attention were the two round eyes that drooped with unmeasurable sadness.

"The man you seek isn't here." he said. His voice was just as heavy as the woman's with that foreign accent, but Naruto could at least understand him.

"I could tell." Naruto said hesitantly, slowly, afraid he wouldn't be understood again.

"He left in a hurry." the other man continued. "He said something about searching for a memory."

Naruto's throat constricted. "He's... looking for... a..."

"Memory." the man interrupted softly. "Yes."

Naruto held his thoughts for a moment. "Will he be back soon?" he asked, feeling somewhat hopeless.

The man shook his head. "I do not know. He does not... confide, in us." he said without emotion. "But... I would not hope for much."

The woman said something loudly in her native tongue, shooting Naruto a dirty look. The bigger man gave her a tired sigh.

"Karin says that you should not be... stalking us so much." he said. Naruto smiled weakly at the glaring woman, and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I guess you're right. I should go." he agreed, and turned to leave. The disappointment was crushing.

"Wait a moment. We should know each other now." the golden-haired man said politely. "I am Juugo. The woman is Karin. And over there is Suigetsu." he nodded to the sallow one on the bed, who bared his pointy teeth for a moment and let his head fall back onto the pillow.

"And your friend, who isn't here now?" Naruto said, his heart picking up speed. "What's his name?"

Juugo watched Naruto steadily, intensely. Watching for a reaction.

"Sasuke. His name is Sasuke."

* * *

The sun rose the next morning. It inched higher and higher in the sky, ticking the time away. It reached it's peak in the sky, and it fell. It drifted lower and lower into the slowly darkening sky, taking the time away in bits and pieces.

With every hour that disappeared, Naruto panicked more and more. He hadn't expected to be so backed up with work that day. But, he thought ruefully, it was probably exactly what he deserved, since he ignored work yesterday to wander around town.

Now the sun was sinking behind the hills, and Naruto was running at full speed down the cobbled streets, dodging other people and the occasional buggy. When he finally halted at the inn and asked for the foreigners in between gasps of air, the innkeeper again lead him to the the room.

Naruto's heart thumped painfully against his chest as he pushed the sliding door open.

This time, they were waiting for him. Karin was sitting at a desk in the corner, glaring sullenly at him out of the corner of her eyes. Suigetsu was sitting on the desk behind her, watching her with a tiny smirk on his face, his legs minutely spread toward her face suggestively. Karin resolutely ignored his advances. Juugo was standing, facing the door with a calm expression.

Those three were the only ones in the room... again.

Naruto's heart plummeted.

"H... Hi." he said weakly. His legs felt shaky all of a sudden, and he just wanted to be curled up at home, in bed, without any thoughts at all...

"Naruto-kun." Juugo inclined his head. "I told Sasuke of you. I also told him of the place you mentioned. He waited all day in this room for you... but you did not come here."

"I'm sorry." Naruto said, his throat clogging. "I got held up..."

"Then he left. He said he would go to the place you spoke of, and would wait there."

Naruto was gone in a heartbeat.

* * *

The sun had all but disappeared, leaving the sky in a peaceful, chilly dark blue color, when Naruto arrived at the place. He'd never visited the place more than once in one year, and he couldn't decide if it was an omen of good or ill that he was here now.

He arrived out of breath, panting and red-faced from the run through the sharp evening air. The trees shaded the grove that he entered, his footsteps slowing to an almost reverent step.

Inside the grove, four blank stones marked four empty tombs honoring three dead people. And kneeling before those four stones was one quiet, inconspicuous person.

He stiffened at the footsteps, and rose from the ground, but he didn't turn around. Naruto stayed silent.

"... You aren't going to say anything?" That smooth, deep voice said, and Naruto finally connected it to his childhood. It was a difficult connection to make, but he made it.

"I don't know what to say." he said honestly. After an awkward pause, he waved helplessly to the graves. "They aren't buried in there. Those are empty graves."

"Empty and nameless." the other observed. "Where are they, if not here?"

"They were... burned." Naruto said carefully, watching for a reaction. His effort was fruitless. "And the ashes thrown away into the wind."

"How poetic." that hypnotic voice laughed, something like sadness tainting the words.

Naruto took a step forward, and the person before him didn't move away. "It _is _you, isn't it... Sasuke." he said softly.

"Only if it _is _you... Naruto." the voice replied, and finally, _finally..._

His arms floated up and pulled the hood off. At the same time, he turned around to face Naruto.

Sasuke had the same pale skin and dark eyes that caught every movement around him. His hair fell in the same way, in sheets framing his cheeks and neck. But he was no child any more; this man had grown up and seen hardship. His face was now all sharp, angular lines, and his eyes tilted up in a cold, indifferent way they hadn't before.

Naruto's breath caught in his chest as Sasuke sized him up.

"You look the same." he commented casually, his eyes roaming across Naruto's body. "But, you also look different. You've grown... a lot."

"Look who's talking." Naruto finally cracked a smile, a true, dazzling smile that lit up his face. Sasuke's chin tilted up at the sight, and the corners of his lips twitched. "You look all grown up yourself." Naruto said frankly, grinning at his childhood friend. "You really... filled out." And he couldn't suppress the lecherous edge that his smile took.

Something sparked in Sasuke's coal-black eyes. A little flame lit behind his eyes, and the change was instantaneous. Suddenly, Sasuke seemed more alive than ever.

"Look who's talking, dobe." Sasuke echoed, smirking. "You're all muscle now."

"Yeah, teme, I worked hard for these babies." Naruto laughed, and pompously made a show of kissing his bicep.

Before he could blink, Sasuke's hands were on his scarred cheeks and then demanding lips were pressed against his. Naruto melted against Sasuke and let his arms wrap around Sasuke's waist, bringing the two closer together. Sasuke wasn't careful or gentle. He pushed Naruto's mouth open with his tongue and mapped every crevice he could find.

Naruto broke off when the need for air grew desperate. "Teme! Slow down!" he panted, eyes wide. He didn't take his arms off Sasuke's waist, though.

"Haven't you thought of breathing through your nose?" Sasuke asked, irritated. "It's what you have one for, you know."

"Not exactly easy when you're shoving your tongue down my throat." Naruto retorted.

Sasuke smirked and touched their foreheads together. "You like my tongue down your throat?" he questioned softly.

Naruto gulped. "... It's a good distraction." he murmured. "From breathing."

Sasuke chuckled, a quiet chuckle deep in his throat. It sounded honest, and clear of that cold indifference that had plagued Sasuke for the past nine years. "That's a good beginning." he replied softly, and took another kiss.

* * *

"So, dobe, tell me. What happened here while I was gone?"

Naruto smirked at Sasuke from the bed of the inn room they'd unceremoniously kicked Juugo, Karin and Suigetsu out of last night. The morning sun was peeking through the covered windows. Sasuke was stepping out of the tiny bath, a towel around his waist and steamy water droplets still rolling off his flawless skin.

Naruto slid off the bed and stood close to Sasuke. "You aren't getting dressed yet?" he asked in a surprisingly sexy voice, hooking one finger lasciviously into the edge of the towel. Sasuke snickered in reply.

"Don't even think about it, dobe." he said lightly. "Your ass can only take so much." Naruto's cheeks flushed crimson, and Sasuke gave himself a mental pat on the back. "So, my earlier question. What happened?"

"Plenty." Naruto replied, a little sulkily. "Our government was in turmoil half the time. Orochimaru took over after you left, and he had himself a nice little dictatorship for a few years until we all got sick of his torture and overthrew him. Riots and all that everywhere. Then, somehow, we managed to get a proper government set up with a properly elected President, who is now running the country. A lady by the name of Tsunade Sannin. Last I checked, our prosperity is on a pleasant rise."

"That's good." Sasuke murmured without looking at him. Naruto frowned and gave him a reassuring kiss on the lips.

"None of this is your fault, if that's what you're thinking." he quietly rebuffed his partner. Sasuke finally looked him in the eye, amusement gleaming in his irises.

"I wasn't thinking that, but thank you for the reassurance." he laughed. Naruto smiled and danced away from him.

"Get dressed, Sasuke!" he called happily. "I'm taking you out on the town today!"

* * *

The town wasn't too far from Sasuke's memory. Even though he had hardly left the castle back when he still lived there, he remembered dull stone surrounded by colorful banners, but mostly he remembered noise. Lots and lots of noise.

Naruto took his hand and dragged him through the cobbled streets, occasionally waving to some pedestrians, who greeted him in return.

"Kakashi! Good morning!" Naruto called to one man in particular. The silver-haired man flicked the one eye he hadn't covered with a mask up to Naruto, then returned his attention to the little orange book in his hand.

"Hello, Naruto." he said conversationally. Sasuke blinked a few times.

"Is that porn?" he blurted out, staring in horror at the book Kakashi was reading. Kakashi's eye leaped off the page and fixed firmly on Sasuke, who averted his own gaze in embarrassment.

"Who is your friend, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, momentarily distracted by their clasped hands. Naruto noticed.

"He's an old childhood friend of mine." Naruto said, smiling proudly. "His name is Sasuke... uh..." the smile faded as Kakashi's eyebrow rose in surprise. Sasuke's hand tightened briefly on his. "Sasuke... Sasuke... Uzumaki! Yeah. His name is Sasuke Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki?" Kakashi and Sasuke both echoed. Naruto sent a stern look at Sasuke, then nodded brightly to Kakashi.

"Really? Is he... _related_ to you?" Kakashi's eye obviously glanced down at their hands again.

"Not- Not _blood-_related..." Naruto stuttered, casting his mind around for a plausible excuse. Sasuke squeezed his hand lightly again. "He, to me... he's, uh... _married _to me! Yeah, we're married."

Kakashi and Sasuke both stared.

"Married? That was quick..." Kakashi said doubtfully.

"We've been engaged since we were kids." Naruto said stubbornly.

"I wasn't aware that men could marry other men..." Kakashi said brightly. "Excuse me, must go find Iruka..." With this, he shuffled off.

"Don't kill him, now!" Naruto yelled after him. "I don't want to deal with a sleep-deprived Iruka again!" Aside to Sasuke, he asked, "Do you think someone can die from too much sex?"

"I hope not." Sasuke smirked, and Naruto felt a hand subtly squeeze his ass. He squealed and knocked the hand away.

"That hurts, teme!"

"Sorry." And Sasuke kissed Naruto's cheek in apology, lingering briefly on the scars that had fascinated him for so long.

After a pause, he said slyly, "So, we're married now. When are we getting rings?"

Naruto laughed and threw his arms around the only person he would ever _love_ in his life.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_Frankly, I don't care if you review or not. I just want to go back to pretending this piece of crap doesn't exist.


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